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Oddities: Weird Superstitions From Around the World

There’s nothing quite like a dose of some good old superstition, but in some parts of the world, things have gone a tad too far. It’s Friday the 13th today, so buckle up and check out our list or craziest superstitions from around the globe!

Don’t chew gum at night, it’s dead people!

In Turkey, people believe that chewing gum at night is the worst possible thing to do. You see, it’s not gum that you are chewing, it’s dead people!

Don’t be mean to animals, you’ll have hairy babies!

This one comes from Romania, one of the most prolific countries in the world when it comes to superstitions. Basically, if you’re violent to animals, your newborn baby will be a hairy one. At least they’re humane to animals, right?

Need to go to the hospital? Better do it on Wednesday!

An old wives’ tale claims that Wednesday is the best day for visiting a hospital. Monday, on the other hand, is best for leaving, whereas Sunday is the worst one, indicating you’ll soon be back.

Four equals death

In Chinese language, the word “four” is pronounced similarly to the word “death.” This gave the poor number a dreaded reputation, going far enough that Chinese avoid marking the fourth floor in some of their buildings, or any figure with a number 4 in it.

Fall asleep with a fan on and you’ll die

South Koreans have an odd belief that if you fall asleep with a fan turned on, you’ll die. It goes so far that local doctors warn against “fan sleeping” and merchants selling fans with included timers.

Don’t put your shoes on the table

You put your shoes on the table and you risk a family argument or even death, it’s that simple. We wonder if the same goes for a neat pair of slippers.